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The argan tree: a providence for Morocco

Zoubida CharroufTranslated from French by Wendy Ouali [Published in Splendor of Morocco, the Royal Museum of Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium) published by Plume, Paris, 1998]

The argan tree (Argania spinosa) (L.) Skeels, Sapotaceae) is native to Morocco, where it covers 28,000 hectares. It is the second most common tree in the country, coming after the green oak and just in front of the thuya. It can live from 150 to 200 years. It resists drought and heat well and can adapt to practically every kind of soil. It grows wild in the arid and semi-arid regions of the south-west of Morocco. It plays an irreplaceable role in the balancing of the ecological system and in the preservation of bio-diversity. Thanks to its powerful root system, it helps keep the soil around it in place and helps fight against wind and water erosion which is putting a large part of the region in danger of desertification.

The argan tree is also of great economic worth because it can be put to many uses. Every part of the tree can be used and is a source of income or sustenance for the user: the wood is used for fuel, the leaves and the fruits can be used as feed for goats and camels, and the oil extracted from the kernel is used in food preparation and in traditional medicine. In this way, the argan tree ensures the subsistence of some three million people and provides over 20 million work days. Argan oil is the main product extracted from the argan tree. Women extract it from the kernel, using ancient methods. It is rich in unsaturated fat (80%). It is a linoleic oil, containing more than 32% linoleic acid. It is relatively rich in vitamin E and in antioxidants. Besides being used in cooking, argan oil is used for bodycare products, in the treatment of juvenile acne, chickenpox and rheumatism. It lowers cholesterol levels and is prescribed for patients who are at risk from arteriosclerosis.

The surface area and the density of the groves of argan trees are, however, receding in an alarming manner. In less than a century, more than a third of the argan forest has disappeared and the average density of the forest has gone from 100 to 30 trees per hectare. However, research work has shown that the argan tree is not a fossil which is slowly dying out, but is, on the contrary the tree of the future for certain arid regions. It is therefore imperative to safeguard this green curtain at the doorway to the Sahara.